It'd be a crime to not update this on Valentine's Day.
May not be the best, mostly focuses on the usual, but gosh darn I had some fun with it.
Hope you enjoy, because I intend on getting back in the swing of things, for real, until this story's end.
"No no no! You amatuers! The lights go in THIS direction in THIS pattern! Not the other way around in a twist! Are you even trying?!"
"Please forgive us, Princess!"
"Wendy, you need to chill a bit."
Wendy Koopa was in an irritable mood towards the Elite Trio-Private Goomba, Corporal Paraplonk, and Sergeant Guy-, who were doing their best to set up some bright and sparkling decorations under her instruction. She wasn't too happy about their progress, as she deemed it quite awful.
Iggy was much more forgiving. Maybe because it was so early in the morning and not even he was really into what she was trying to do like she was. Unlike her brothers, Wendy was wide awake and acting in full force for this goal of hers.
"I left this to you days ago, and you still aren't finished?! Get your butts in high gear and get this done already!" Wendy demanded with a not at all bratty stomp that didn't fool Iggy for a second. The Elite Trio were trying their best to please the not so easily pleased Princess, and were initially not having the greatest of luck doing so.
"Pfft, c'mon sis. Show some holiday spirit and spare them the yelling this time." Iggy suggested with a tired yawn, slicking his hair back slightly while adjusting his glasses. "We should try and be more well-behaved than usual today, to spread some good vibes, ya know?"
"Ugh. Fine." Wendy grumbled as she mercifully spares the Elite Trio any more earaches, and ro ro sim wave her wand. The decorations soon began to sparkle and flow brilliantly, lighting up the room instantly. "Honestly, it shouldn't have taken you three THIS long to finish, as in still working the literal day the holiday comes! You are really lucky I'm in a better mood than usual today."
"Oh, thank you Princess Wendy!" Paraplonk said with clasped hands and on his knees.
"Graceful, merciful Wendy!" Goomba said with a clumsy bow.
"Your kindness knows no bounds!" Guy said while cheerily waving his arms.
"Enough. I'm not up for you grovelling before me and admiring my greatness and cuteness today, you can do it tomorrow when you have more time."
"You realize how that sentence barely works, right?" Iggy points out with a flat expression. Wendy simply ignored him.
"For today, do what everyone else does and simply enjoy outselves. We've got quite a bit ahead of us and I wanna be sure everyone's kicking back and enjoying themselves as much as they can." Wendy huffed as she swung her scarf around her neck and walked towards the balcony, looking over to the main area of Peach's Castle.
That's right. The Koopa Family and others were invited for a very snowy Valentine's Day over at the Mushroom Kingdom. It was quite an all-inclusive affair for everyone involved, and everyone was doing their part to help out the preparations, and went to celebrate their shared holiday in order to honor each other's hard work, and newfound bonds.
That said, things aren't going completely smoothly. At least, in regards to a certain duo...
"You think I'm gonna lose to you?!"
"I ain't losin' to a jerk like you!'
Bowser and Daisy were in the middle of the snow field. And they were currently trying to pelt each other with the biggest snowballs they can toss at each other. Both were relentless, they were resolved, they were fierce.
Oh, and Luigi got caught in the crossfire.
"Dodge and roll, dodge dodge roll, roll and dodge, dodging roll, rolling dodge!' Luigi chanted madly to himself as he avoided nearly every single snowball thrown his way with the most panicked look on his face. He chose a bad time to walk in-between their feud of snow, and now he can't seem to escape the onslaught. Good thing he bundled up a bit and was wearing a green jacket and scarf, both with his signature initial on it.
Daisy was similarly bundled up, except she wore her warm clothes in her own colors and initial for her name. And she was in a very passionate mood as she threw snowball and snowball with such intensity that Luigi was surprise none of then caught fire and melted mid-throw.
Double goes for Bowser, since he actually has fire powers. Alas, these were strange times. Luigi only wished that these strange times didn't have the potential to be destructive and painful. And he wished he wasn't in the potential blast zone for that.
It was a bad place to be, and he'd rather not be in that kind of place. Yet he was stuck in-between the clash amidst the intensity of the snowball throwing chaos between the two, seemingly with no end in sight.
The Koopalings...were having far too much fun watching this, just kicking back and watching the lean green plumber desperstely try not to get hit. Even one hitting him with their speed and power would likely knock him out if he wasn't ready.
"Can any of you help me out of this?!"
"Nah." They all said simultaneously.
"Yeah, I kinda figured..." Luigi mumbled, somewhat expecting them to come to such an answer. It didn't change the fact that it was a completely unfair situation he found himself in.
Luckily, a friend showed him mercy, as a barrier formed around him and blocked most of the incoming snowballs still flying towards him. The sudden intrusion of their snowball war sropped both of them in their tracks, and Daisy now realized what had happened and what nearly happened. She dropped the snowball in her hand out of guilt.
"Oh man, Luigi! I'm so sorry! I blinded myself with my competitve streak again!"
"Hehe. No big deal, Daisy. Just glad I got out unscathed." Luigi rubbed the back of his neck as he looked up towards the person who came to his rescue.
"Hah?" Bowser tilted his head while also looking up, only for his eyes to slightly widen in surprise.
"Now now, everyone. We must play nice." Rosalina smiles as she gracefully drops down onto the snowy ground, smoothing out her dress and giving Bowser a knowing look. "After all, this it yet another event that involves everyone getting along much better than before, right?"
"Well, yeah, I guess." Bowser harrumphed with folded arms. "She started it, though. "And I was gonna finish it, too."
"Yeah, right! Any longer and I would have crushed you!"
"Fat chance!"
"You'd know about being 'fat' wouldn't ya?"
Bowser gawked at that, even stepping away a bit, only to clench his teeth and fists in aggravation. He wasn't blushing due to how flustered that got him, no, not at all.
Kammy you old hag!
"I'll have you know that all of this is MUSCLE! There ain't a flab of fat on me! I ain't goin' back to those days, ever!" He huffed and folded his arms, turning his back to her. "Know what? I'm gonna be the bigger Koopa and walk away from this. Not stressing myself out today."
"Yeah, well-"
"Daisy...please." Luigi says while taking her hand into his own. Daisy's features softened significantly, to the point where she sighed and rubbed her arm.
"I got carried away again, didn't I?"
"Little bit. But it's okay, the two of you can keep working things out. You're honestly getting better at this, you just need to keep it up!"
Daisy shook her head after scratching it a bit, before leaning over,.wrapping one arm around Luigi, and lightly, repeatedly poking his cheek. "Tch. Always gotta be the nice guy, Luigi. It might actually be a refreshing change of pace if you reprimanded my immaturity a little bit more."
"W-What? Why would I do that? You didn't do anything seriously wrong." Luigi lifted his cap and scratched his own head. "Besides, I'm not one to talk when it comes to maturity. You don't wanna come to me for that kind of stuff."
"Mario isn't that much better, no matter how much he says he is."
"You still see a difference, and how it further shows that he's the older twin, though. Can you at least give it that?"
Daisy sighed, shaking her head as she lightly tipped his cap downwards, startling him. "Fine, tine. I'll let you win this time."
"I'd be lucky to win on my own merit. Haha."
Bowser gazed at the two of them, his tail thumping against the ground. Huh. She actually backed off. Well, uh, GOOD! Yeah, that's how it SHOULD be! I'm totally not still kinda scared of her because of that whole super slap thing. Bowser instinctively rubbed his cheek in at the memory. I'd rather not suffer that twice...
"Bowser?" Rosalina called out to him as she lightly patted his shoulder. "You are okay, are you not?"
"I'm quite fine, thanks for askin'." Bowser snorted but didn't reject her hand when she took hold of his paw. "Me and that Daisy try to get along. But for some reason we're more intense with each other than I am with the Mario brothers!"
"Well, it might help that the Mario Brothers are much more forgiving than she is. Daisy is one who holds grudges and, how they say, 'get even'." Rosalina smiles playfully. "Just like you."
Bowser didn't know what was worse. The fsct rhat Rosalina used s comparison between him and a Princess who didn't like him to tease him, or the fact that he couldn't completely shut the point down. Because it was somewhat true.
Who knows, maybe he could use that to better smooth things over with her even more. For the sake of everyone around them, if not just themselves.
"You really like to push my buttons, don't you?'
"How can I not, when you have so many?"
"Cheeky space Princess be pulling on my cheeks..."
"Handsome cheeks."
"H-Handsome?!" Bowser gasped. He then coughed and folded his arms. "I mean, BWAHAH! Of course I'm handsome! And quite possibly the most handsome man alive! Nobody can too me in terms of handsome...ness!" Bowser blinked as he noticed Rosalina was giggling to herself. He would be annoyed if he didn't find it really cute, darn her.
"A-Apologies. Please, do not stop on my account. I merely need to pull myself together...goodness." she said while cupping a hand over her mouth. "It is...it is too humourous and cute to watch you boast so proudly and shamelessly."
"Hmph, like I'd have any shame in boasting about my awesomeness." Bowser blinked and lightly blushed. "W-Wait a minute...you think my boasting is cute? And what's funny about it?!"
"You sound so confident about it. No doubt in yourself whatsoever." She hummed while lightly wiping her tears away. "And I suppose, that is one of the traits I admire most about you. Your complete confidence in yourself allows you to perform at your very best, so you can prove that it is well-earned confidence. In short, you are not one who liked empty boasts."
Bowser was caught off guard, as Rosalina said this part with complete sincerity. She smiled as she lightly goes to hold his paw. He huffed and lightly squeezed it, scratching his cheek with his other paw. "Hmph. I like to back up my loud barks with even bigger bites, that's all. I mean, I have the teeth for it."
"Oh Bowser, what big teeth you have!" Rosalina mock gasped, with a hand over her mouth.
"All the better to stuff myself silly with, Space Princess." Bowser smirked, and they both ended up laughing at their admittedly terrible joke.
"What do you say we go join our friends?"
"Alright. Gettin', too quiet outside, anyway. The noise is where the party is." Bowser hummed as he and Rosalina headed towards Peach's Castle. "Knowing Peach, she's probably got pink hearts all over the place and stuff like that. She sure likes to decorate."
"I can see that. When Peach throws parties, she really likes to make them look pretty."
She wasn't completely wrong about that, and neither was Bowser. For as they entered the castle, there was many a pink heart floating around the castle inside and out. There were also different shades of pink, alongside several red hearts, but it was mostly pink that they saw.
There was also an array of pink ribbons that, unsurprisingly, had hearts had a msjor influence on them. Many were hung among the tables, doors, the ceiling, and banners. Valentine's Day banners with numerous hearts around them were nice and bright, front and center.
Seems Peach really wanted to let everyone know that this was a Valentine's Day themed party. She must have been looking forward to it.
"Bowser! Rosslina! You came!" Peach waved from where she stood, next to a similarly waving Mario, which made Bowser snort and huff at the sight of him.
"Good to see you too, Bowser." Mario rolled his eyes at Bowser's reaction to him.
"Bah. Course it's good to see me. My very presence makes the places I go to THAT much more supremely awesome." Bowser huffed with a brief turn of his head.
"Well, I guess you can attribute that to your imposing presence. It's not very easy to miss when you enter a room."
"That's how it should he! Being noticed right when I enter a room is a great testament to how much people know of me! I'm a pretty big name, ya know!"
"A big a name as your ego and size. Seems fitting." Daisy chuckled with a hand over her mouth, which Luigi lightly chided her from behind her.
"Darn that Sunflower, always butting in and trying to shut me down..." Bowser grumbled.
Luigi lightly elbowed Daisy with a firm narrow of his eyes. Daisy soon sighed as she walked up to Bowser and handed him a box of chocolates, shaped like hearts. "Here."
Bowser blinked, lightly taking the box and watching Daisy turn around and walk back towards Luigi and hand a much bigger one towards him, with a more wide and genuinely sweet smile. He rolled his eyes, but he did appreciate what he received.
"Oh my. It looks like Daisy truly is not as abrasive towards you as she used to be." Rosalina smiled, honestly feeling quite proud of this great leap of progress between them. Perhaps the fighting between them will take a decrease as well. Not too likely, but one step at a time does seem to apply here. Overall, it gave Rosalina and Peach some pretty positive vibes.
"What about you, Peach? Did you get the chocolates I brought you?" Bowser asked somewhat politely.
"Yes, Bowser. Your children delivered them to me. On top of much of their own..." Peach smiles awkwardly as far in the back, several large boxes of chocolates, too filled to even fully close the boxes, sit on their lonesome, with the Koopalings considering this a job well-done. "So much chocolate...I don't really think I can eat all of that by myself, so I decided to share with them, and several others." Peach smiled and lightly grabbed a tray from a nearby table to hand to Bowser. "I did make some cupcakes, though!"
"Cupcakes?!" Bowser exclaimed, eyes beaming and tail wagging behind him, which a smiling and giggling Rosalina found absolutely adorable. They weren't full sized cakes, but they'd certainly do fine.
"Ah ah!" Peach waved her finger in front of him before he could grab one. "One at a time. No grabbing tray and dropping all of them into your mouth. I saw the look in your eyes, you were going to do that, weren't you?"
"Wha? Pfft! No, of course not! Whaddya take me for? A Koopa with no self-control?" Bowser huffed, ignoring the beads of sweat going down his brow due to Peach's skeptical gaze. Nonetheless, he eagerly eats his cupcake at a slower pace than usual to savor it. Proves to be an ideal choice, as his tail wags even faster at how delicious it was.
"For you, Mario." Peach smiles as she hands him a cupcake as well, along with a brief kiss to his nose. "You've been hard at work, lately. I do appreciate it all."
"Hehe. Thank you, Princess." Mario lightly rubbed the back or his neck, blushing brightly.
Daisy looked towards the couple, humming a bit, then she turned to Luigi and does the same, lightly kissing his nose while handing him a cupcake of her own. "You patiently put up with my antics and temper. You're such a good guy, Luigi. Thanks for being a good guy."
"W-W-Wah...!" Luigi hid his face under his hat, almost unable to hide his blush.
"Heh. So easy to embarrass."
Rosalina hummed tenderly at the interactions between the plumbers and princesses. She lightly lifted a cupcake of her own and takes a gentle bite from it. Before long, she lightly turns to Bowser and places a light kiss on his snout. Bowser blinks and turned towards her in brief surprise.
"Huh. Are you going to thank me for something like they did?"
Rosalina smiled. "Not exactly. I simply felt the need to kiss your snout."
Bowser actually chuckled at this. "For some reason, I find that refreshingly simple. Thanks for that, Space Princess." He blinked as he realized what just happened, seeing Rosalina's smiling face. "...Did you just turn the tables on this chain? Was that your plan?"
Rosalina chuckled into her hand. "Not necessarily. I did indeed mean what I said. Things just happened to align that way. Pleasantly so, might I add."
Bowser blinked, then facepalmed into his paws. "You've gotta be kidding me..."
"Quite an eccentric way to say I love you, hm?" Rosalina smiled, briefly bringing surprise to Bowser again. He might not be completely used to hearing that and having it be genuine in the romantic sense, but Rosalina, mischievous as she was being, was being completely sincere.
"Hmph. Maybe I should come up with an eccentric way to say I love you too, huh?" Bowser smirked, causing Rosalina to giggle once again.
"Valentine's Day cheer, everyone! Spread the love!" Wendy beams above as she lightly dances above everyone, with the help of her magic wand. The Koopaling's followed suit, with Junior lightly handing some chocolate to both Rosalina, Daisy and Peach.
"For you three! I shared some of mine!"
"Oh my, thank you, Junior!"
"Many thanks, Junior."
"Heh, you're not such a bad kid after all!"
Peach, Daisy and Rosalina lightly kissed and nuzzled Junior's cheeks, getting him to smile and laugh allowed. Bowser and the Mario Bros looking on in a mix of amusement and surprise.
"Did your son just..." Mario began.
"Steal the hearts of all three Princesses?" Luigi continued.
"Yes. Yes he did. And I'm mixed between annoyed, and proud." Bowser folded his arms with a loud snort.
And yet, he couldn't help but smile st the sight. Because of his own actions, Junior has also been at odds with the Princesses at times. Not out of actual malice, but because his father did so.
And here he is now, getting along with all three of them like it was no big deal. At the end of it all, Bowser could approve of this. It could, in a way, be a good sign of the future. Junior has a good chance of being able to get along with others much better and faster than Bowser could. Nurturing this could mean that Junior would grow up to be a very big and strong king one day, both in size, power and heart. And Bowser would be the proudest Koopa alive when that day comes.
But for now...
"Alright, you Princesses had your fun. Lemme have my son back." Bowser huffed as he stomped over to where they were. Rosalina hummed in amusement as she lightly handed Junior to Bowser, who lightly hugged his son to his chest.
"I love you, son. Just feel like tellin' ya that." Bowser tenderly declares.
Junior blinked a bit, though soon smiled brightly and returned the hug, leaning up to nuzzle his snout against Bowser's. "I love you too, Papa."
For now, he'd cherish the small and lively Junior in his arms, as long as he could.
Ah, who was he kidding. He'd cherish Junior no matter what.
He turned towards Rosalina, who was smiling at father and son from where she stood while Peach and Daisy spoke freely and happily. His eyes lowered slightly.
He's definitely grown to cherish Rosalina was well. Very much so. He didn't know why, but being able to admit things like that to himself and others much easier than he used to felt really good.
He'd have to do it more often.
Happy Valentine's Day to those that celebrate it, and have a good day overall.
In spite of IRL stuff, more chapters shall come soon! (I mean it this time I swear.)
